Buckles – buttons – clasps – etc. – Separable-fastener or required component thereof – Including member having distinct formations and mating...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-18
2001-05-22
Sandy, Robert J. (Department: 3626)
Buckles, buttons, clasps, etc.
Separable-fastener or required component thereof
Including member having distinct formations and mating...
C024S614000, C450S058000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06233793
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a two-step garment closure and, more particularly, to a garment closure which is adjustable from a contracted position to an extended position and which is particularly suitable for use as a front closure for a front-opening brassiere.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Front opening brassieres have been provided heretofore with front closures having two parts slidably fitted together, one part being affixed to one side of the brassiere while the other part is fixed to the other side of the brassiere and can be interfitted with the first part to hold the two sides of the garment together. When a button portion is depressed, the two parts of the closure can separate, thereby allowing the brassiere to open.
There are closures which also allow adjustment in use (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,765), which, upon depression of a portion of the closure will allow the closure to extend into a second closed position without full separation of the parts. For example, when the wearer is riding in an automobile and desires to relax the brassiere, the closure can be actuated directly through the blouse of the wearer to allow the closure to extend from its fully contracted position to an extended but unseparated state. Also without removing the blouse, the wearer can press the sides of the closure together to restore the contracted position. A two-step closure of this type has the advantage that it allows adjustment while the garment is being worn from a tighter position to a more relaxed fit without full separation but yet permits full separation when the closure is, like a front closure for a brassiere, used to allow opening and closing of the garment.
While the aforementioned closure has been found to be highly effective, it is somewhat longer than is desirable for many brassiere designs and thus is subject to improvement.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved two-step closure which can be more compact than the closures hitherto used and yet retain the advantages of the earlier closures.
Another object of the invention is to provide a two-step closure which is more aesthetically pleasing, especially for use as a front closure for a brassiere, then front closures known heretofore.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved two-step closure which also affords ease of complete separation, is inexpensive to manufacture and use, and is free from drawbacks of prior art closures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are attained, in accordance with the invention in a step garment closure in which one side of the body of the closure into which a slide can be fitted, is formed with a depressible portion which can release the slide to allow it to disengage from its contracted state and move into an extended position while an opening on the opposite side of the body exposes a depressible portion of the slide which, in this extended position, can be actuated for full release of the parts of the closure.
Thus the button in the front of the closure, where the garment is a front-closing brassiere, can be operated to allow the closure to assume a relaxed state while actuation of the closure from the rear thereof can release the closure entirely. As a consequence, the closure can be far more compact and shorter than the earlier closures mentioned.
More particularly, the two-step garment closure can comprise:
a closure body provided with means for securing the body to one part of a garment having two separable parts, the body having a depressible portion on one side thereof and an opening on an opposite side thereof; and
a slide receivable in the body and provided with means for securing the slide to another part of the garment, the slide having a deflectable tongue, the body forming two spaced-apart stops for the slide respectively retaining the slide in a fully inserted position in the body corresponding to a contracted state of the closure and a partially withdrawn position corresponding to an expanded state of the closure, the depressible portion being actuatable from the one side to release the slide from the fully inserted position and permit the slide to move into the partially withdrawn position, the tongue being formed with a button actuatable through the opening from the other side to release the slide from the body and permit full withdrawal of the slide from the body and separation of the parts.
The means for securing the body to one part of the garment and the slide to the other part of the garment can be strap eyes where the garment parts are straps or are affixed to the closure by straps, or they can be tabs which can be stitched into the garment as in the case of the front closure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,765 or one of the attachment elements can be such a stitch-through tab while the other is a strap eye.
It has been found to be advantageous to provide the body with a decorative pattern around the depressible member, e.g. in the form of spherical formations simulating pearls. The body can have an oval outline while the depression member can be outwardly convex, i.e. spherically convex, with a circular outline.
According to a feature of the invention, the tongue is formed on opposite sides thereof with shoulders engaging the respective stops.
One of the stops can be an edge of the opening or window at the back of the body while the other stop is a bar extending transversely to the direction of insertion and removal of the slide.
In another feature of the invention, the decorative pattern which will be visible and the depressible member can be formed as a cap which is pressed onto the body of the garment closure and can be injection molded or otherwise shaped from a plastic material which can be of the same color as the body and the slide or can be of a different color, e.g. one which is selected to have an aesthetic relationship to the garment. The slide and the body may be a colorless plastic while the cap may be pink, white or of another color matching the brassiere with which the fastener is used. To facilitate the second stage of the opening process, i.e. full release of the slide from the body, the back of the body may be provided with a deflectable member which acts upon the slide to release the detent.
Alternatively, the deflectable portion of the slide may be provided with a formation which is exposed when the slide is partially pulled out, to enable the wearer to readily engage the deflectable portion and release the second stop.
In that case, the button is separate from the detent of the slide.
Alternatively, the adjustment in opening can be effected only from the front side. In that case, the oval push piece can be pivoted so that it can be displaced by being pressed in at either side of the pivot. When pressed in at the left side, for example, the garment closure can be permitted to expand and when pressed in on the right side, can be released or opened. A reverse operation is also possible.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1205247 (1916-11-01), Munroe
patent: 2495667 (1950-01-01), Vizner
patent: 3200464 (1965-08-01), Cousins
patent: 5427562 (1995-06-01), Hwang
patent: 5784765 (1998-07-01), Fildan
patent: 5957748 (1999-09-01), Ichiha
Dubno Herbert
Fildan Accessories Corporation
Sandy Robert J.
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